With the exception of Wells Fargo (for obvious reasons) and basket-case Deutsche Bank, earnings for the “big banks” have actually been pretty good this quarter.

But they’ve got a much bigger problem right now. According to New York Fed economists, large banks have over $140 billion invested in bad energy loans stemming from the oil crash. And they could be facing astronomical losses.

So it seems as though it’s only a matter of time before the banks go to Hades in a handbasket – and take the rest of the stock market with them.

Now there’s a camp of people who will tell you about a new “cash alternative” that’s the best safe haven for your money.

It hasn’t been fully embraced (yet), but it’s already being called the “new world currency.”

In the past 12 months alone, its transaction volume has increased by 110%.